Book Review: Baby Comes Home: A Parent’s Guide to a Healthy and Well First Eighteen Months

Unlike most baby care books, expert pediatrician and health communicator DR. PAUL Roumeliotis takes a unique approach by emphasizing what scientific advances have confirmed—that what happens early on in life affects one’s overall health decades down the road.

BabyComesHome communicates the latest science that explains how positive or negative early childhood experiences can have lifelong consequences. The book begins by describing the vital changes that occur in a baby‘s brain during the first 18 months. It then explores the new “Science of TLC”, that shows how tender, loving, and caring relationships with babies help to positively shape their brains. The book then presents important practical information on safety in the home and outdoors, baby routines/patterns, immunizations, injury prevention, nutrition, and more. To complete this useful guide, DR.PAUL also reviews common baby care issues and concerns as well as illnesses and conditions commonly seen during the first few years of life.

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, daycare teacher or child caregiver, this book is an excellent reference resource for your baby‘s current and future health, wellness and prosperity.

My Thoughts:

Dr. Paul begins this book by focusing on why the first eighteen months are so important to the health and development of a child. He starts out the book, (on page four to be exact), with the science of coddling and loving your child. He explains how children are born with “many more brain cells (neurons) than adults and the ones that get used are the ones that remain. During the first few years of life these brain cells start to develop connections that on the outside we see as development. When the baby’s brain grows, it is actually these nerves – the wiring – that are forming, interconnecting, and expanding.”

Due this important time in neural development it is extremely important for babies to live and thrive in an environment that promotes “their brains, nerve cells, connections, and learning/cognitive abilities to develop to their full potential. We know that, if they do not achieve this development properly or fully, there can be long-term consequences.”

My husband and I are big believers in hugging and coddling our three year old son. We provide a lot of hands on attention, time and love and I enjoyed reading about why these have all been and will continue to be important to his development and overall well being.

As a personal finance blogger I love how the author of this book puts love and attention in the context of money. In essence, he points out that none of these things require money. It is more about the time, attention and care with which we care for our children. Not the money we spend on them or the toys we purchase to fill their playrooms.

Much of Dr. Paul’s chapters focus on the health and safety of babies and young toddlers. I think this book would function as a great guide to the common health questions and concerns of any parent. He discusses everything from constipation, earwax, nasal congestion to more series issues like allergies, apnea, croup and ear infections. In fact, over 150 pages of his book are dedicated to the symptoms and treatments of childhood diseases.

As a new parent this isn’t necessarily the type of book that you need to read cover to cover. While the first few chapters are quite helping in preparing your home for a new baby, the rest of the book could be kept as a guide to any medical issues that might crop up in the first few years of your child’s life.